sun-kissed skin
by SomeGirlsLikePotatoes
Summary: 'We'll find some way to beat the heat.' Just Fairy Tail having a good time to jump start the summer.


"Natsu!" comes her frustrated voice.

He laughs as he chases her around with a water gun, spritzing her exposed skin. Lucy is shrieking at him through hands shielding her face, but she too is laughing. She tackles him to the ground for revenge, wrestles the offending weapon from out of his grip, and gives him a taste of his own medicine. She has him pinned beneath her, with her knees planted on either side of him. She sticks the tip of the gun in his mouth and pulls the trigger.

"Ru-shee! Shtap!" he garbles out with a mouth full of water. Lucy smirks satisfactorily before getting off him and back on her feet, swimming the weapon like an expert soldier cadet. She relishes in the power of her favourite string bikini and the water gun in her hand.

"Keep it down, would you?" Gray says, tipping his dark sunglasses down for effect. He lies in an inflatable kiddie pool beside where they are, and wouldn't you know it, his trunks are gone. Lucy screams at him to cover up, and he almost jumps when he realizes he's butt naked. He gives up when he realizes any attempt to cover up is futile, and closes his eyes hidden under the lenses. He was never fond of the sun, and is situated safely under the shade of the guild's shadow. Juvia is not far away, watching him from behind a tree, with eyes full of longing.

Erza is asleep on the roof, the strap of her bikini undone as she lies on her stomach, working on her tan. The last time she had tried it, her skin had been so sun burned that it turned as red as her hair. But she never did learn her lesson, and the sun was just another enemy to conquer. She had a stronger SPF ready.

"Not today," she murmurs in her sleep.

Mirajane watches everyone's antics with amusement as she sips her fruity cocktail. The Demon lounges on a lawn chair, her snow white hair tied up in a messy bun that lets a few tendrils fall and frame her face. Her outfit consists of a pair of jean shorts that would qualify as denim underwear, and a sleeveless top that barely went past her breasts. Wakaba and Macao went into transports of delight at the sight of her, with fountains of blood pouring from their noses, but she paid them no mind. A day off is welcomed by anyone, and the hardworking barmaid is no exception.

Elfman and Lisanna hang around the Thunder God tribe, sans their leader. Elfman and Evergreen are bickering again, and it's probably about whether or not they are actually together. Funny though, both seem to be arguing for the side of not together, while at the same time for together.

"We are!"

"I know, I just said we weren't!"

"Wait, I thought you agreed with me that we weren't?"

"But you just said that we were!"

The rest of the party look on with knowing glances. It's only a matter of time.

But still, what the green-haired mage Fried fails to notice as he teases his teammate is that Bixlow and Lisanna are holding hands behind him.

Cana is by the grill with her father, trying to convince him to marinate the steaks with beer. He gives in, after a while, but after the first one turns out disastrous –it is bitter and plain disgusting –he sends her away to let him do his job. Cana sulks and drinks some more, and eats what steak she got to make. It packs a punch, and soon she spinning around and crashes to the grass, seeing stars.

Nobody dares to question Gajeel's decision to wear trunks with cats on them, because they all look forward to living a long and prosperous life. He scowls when he catches them staring and the others back away cautiously, like one would when faced with a wild predatory animal. However, the real story behind them is that they were a birthday gift from Levy, and she had insisted on him wearing them. He really was a sucker for blue haired girls with big brown eyes.

The rest of Team Shadowgear tries to ignore the beams she thinks she doing a subtle job of hiding as she sends them his way.

Laxus stares at them all with a bird's eye view from his perch at the tree branch. He's terrified and excited at the prospect of one day being in charge of them all. He runs a hand through his blond hair and thinks, Jesus, what did I have to do to get stuck with this crazy guild.

Natsu has scorched the enchiladas. He wants to throttle something.

Wendy and Romeo are supervising Asuka play in another kiddie pool that her parents have set up, because the first one is being tainted by Gray's… yeah. When he offers to give it back, they insist he keep it –while shielding Asuka's innocent eyes –because their only other option is to burn it. Alzack is inflating a couple more stuff for his daughter, like a beach ball, and her green haired mother takes pictures on her lacrima. Her daughter will have a well-documented number of firsts throughout her life.

Makarov rests easily while his children play. He's an old man, for all his legend and strength. He isn't a god, he isn't immortal. But he smiles when he thinks about how he hasn't a single regret, as his family is one and whole. Fairy Tail will live on without him, and continue to grow into, as the first master so rightfully put it, a wonderful guild.

And Reedus paints the picture before him, everyone's happy faces. Times will always be dark at some point, but there will also always be times when they can look back and remember the joy they shared. He thinks it's his job to record each moment, and he takes it very seriously.

A glorious summer lies ahead.

* * *

A/N: First fanfic! Please be kind :)

Written for **Fairy Tail Writing Contest (Open)** by luffy fan. forum/Fairy-Tail-Writing-Contest-Open/126685/ if you want to join.

Reviews would be nice!


End file.
